Chris Kaman wanted this. He lobbied for this. And now he’s got it.
The Clippers center was named to the West’s All-Star lineup, replacing Brandon Roy and his injured hamstring.
Yes, a Clipper in the All Star game. Be sure to stock up on the canned goods in the basement. (Actually, it happened as recently as 2006, back when Elton Brand was good. Remember those days?)
Kaman actually deserves this. When his team’s front court star -- and everyone expected Blake Griffin to be that star, he was in practices and preseason games -- went down, Kaman stepped up, He has averaged 20 points and nearly 10 rebounds a game while shooting 50 percent on the season. When the Clippers went on a little hot streak last month, it was when they started running the offense through Kaman first. Even under the new run-and-fun Kim Hughes era (how much fun remains to be seen), the Clippers settled their wild ways in the second half against San Antonio and started getting the ball to Kaman. And that helped reduce the size of the blowout (hey, it is the Clippers).
That said, Carlos Boozer can make a very good case he deserves this even more. And his team is actually winning games. A lot of people thought Monta Ellis would get this spot, but his Warrior team is actually worse than the Clippers.
Kaman’s inclusion means there will be two guys who have played for Germany on the court in Dallas for the All-Star Game, Kaman and some guy named Dirk Nowitzki.